TELEVISION Oprah Declines Bush Invitation to Travel In a measure of Oprah Winfrey's clout, the Bush administration reportedly asked the talk-show host to join an official U.S. delegation to tour Afghanistan's schools, celebrating young girls' return to the classroom. Winfrey begged off, however, saying she didn't have the time.

In another potentially costly Dodger misstep, team officials allegedly broke major league baseball rules in signing third baseman Adrian Beltre before his 16th birthday, prompting an upcoming investigation that could lead to the young player being granted free agency, The Times has learned. The Dodgers recently notified the commissioner's office of the situation brought to their attention Oct.

Dodger Chairman Robert Daly said Tuesday he thinks Senior Vice President Tom Lasorda was speaking out of frustration at the prospect of the club losing third baseman Adrian Beltre when Lasorda expressed the opinion earlier Tuesday that major league teams have signed dozens of underage players and said the Dodgers should be reimbursed for the time and effort put into Beltre's preparation if he is declared a free agent.

Fred Claire, former general manager of the Dodgers, said Friday that he had no knowledge of Adrian Beltre's possible signing before he had reached the legal minimum of 16 and, if that happened, he considered it a violation of the trust and responsibility the organization had placed in Ralph Avila, the longtime vice president in charge of operations in the Dominican Republic.

After spending more than three exhausting hours with investigators from the commissioner's office Thursday, Adrian Beltre sat amid the cool breezes of an open air hotel lobby and played it cool, indeed. Is he bitter at the Dodgers for allegedly signing him before the legal age of 16 and failing to inform him of the rule? Is he angry that they may have altered documents in the process?

MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela - On a campaign visit here last month, presidential candidate Henrique Capriles ran through the streets of beach town Boca del Rio at breakneck speed with hundreds of supporters in tow. At another stop, he played a fast-paced, 10-minute game of full-court basketball with young supporters in Altagracia. His strenuous agenda was designed to contrast his youthful athleticism with the cancer-stricken and now seldom-seen incumbent, President Hugo Chavez. But can the 40-year-old run fast enough and score enough points with voters to unseat the entrenched and charismatic Chavez?

Minutes after hooded commandos stormed his tiny shack in the middle of the night and hustled him off to jail, Juan Carlos Diaz was smiling. Had he shot a bus fare collector in cold blood before 25 horrified commuters, as the police said? The 18-year-old high school dropout grinned before answering: "Not even close." But he acknowledged joining the M-18 gang four months earlier and proudly looked down at the 10-inch-high "18" tattooed on his chest and abdomen.